Attachment for wrenches



O. H. BUCK.

ATTACHMENT FOR WRENCHES; APPLICATION man JAN. 24. m9.

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nnrrnn OLLIE H. BUCK, F KOIKOMO, INDIANA.

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specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 3, 191a.

Application filed January 24, 1919. Serial Ho. 872,922.

- To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, Oman H. Book, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Kokomo, county of Howard, and State of Indiana, have invented a certain new and useful Attachment for Wrenches; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals refer to like parts.

This invention relates to attachments for wrenches and is particularly applicable for use in connection with ratchet wrenches in which sockets are en'iployed.

One feature of the invention is the provision of a crank structure for more rapidly rotating the socket holdin portion of the wrench whereby the nut or olt may be more rapidly turned.

A further feature of the invention is the provision of means for holding the socket in position in the ratcheting portion of the wrench.

A further feature of the invention is the provision of friction means for retaining the crank portion and the socket holding member removably engaged with the socket.

In the drawings, which are made a part of this application, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the wrench showing the crank applied thereto for rapidly rotating the socket and ratchet portion of the wrench. Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal sectional view through the ratcheting end of the wrench. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the crank structure removed from the wrench, Fig. 4 is a. sectional view through a portion of the wrench showing the retaining member in position for holding the socket in the wrench, and Fig. 5 is a perspective view thereof.

Referring to the drawings, in which similar reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, 1 indicates a wrench having a head portion 2, in which is located a ratchet 3, said ratchet having an opening 4: therethrough for the reception of the stem 5 of the socket 6, these parts being of any preferred construction.

In wrenches of this class, when a nut or bolt is to be rotated the socket is engaged with the nut or bolt and the handle portion of the wrench swung hack and forth in the arc of a circle and thereby rotating the stem 5, said opening and shank being prefratchet and socket in one direction, and in order to speed up this 0 eration, as when the nut or bolt turns free the shank 7 of a crank 8 is entered in the opening 9 of the erably square in cross section, the dimensions of the opening being such as to permit free movement of the shank into or out of the opening. After the shank is introduced into the stem portion of the socket the shank can be operated to rapidly rotate the socket the object through which the bolt extends.

In order to prevent the shank from casually leaving the stem of the socket, a triotion ball .10 is entered in a bore 1 1 in one face of the shank, which friction hall is forced outwardly by means of a sprin 12, the ball being prevented from entirely leaving the bore by bending in parts of the metal surrounding the open end of the bore to form a flange 13, but any other suitable means may be employed for holding the friction ball in position. The tension of the spring 12 is such that the ball will be forced with sufficient pressure against the wall of the stem as to prevent the shank from casually leaving the stem of the socket, although by applying a slight outward pull on the crank it can be released from the stem.

The crank 8 will also serve to hold the socket from casually leaving the ratchet 3, but under certain conditions the handle portion of the crank would necessarily be in the road, consequently that form of retaining member shown in'Figs. 4 and 5 is preferable. This retaining member comprises a shank 14 similar to the shank 7 having a friction ball 15 entered in a bore 16 and having a spring 17 for forcing the. ball 15 against the wall of the stem '5, the operation of theball 15 beiw the same as the ball 10. On and of the shank 14 is provided, with a isk like head 18 which, when the shank 14 is entered in the stem of the socket,

projects over the face of the ratchet and prevents the socket stem from leaving the opening in the ratchet.

Should it be desired to change the socket the retaining member may be quickly disengaged from the stern of the socket by applying outward pressure on the head 18 and when a different socket has been entered through the ratchet the shank of the retaining member may be again introduced into the opening of the stem and thereby hold-- nuts.

The invention claimed is:

1.- The combination with a wrench structure having a ratcheting portion and a socket having a hollow stem extending therethrough, of a crank structure including a shank adapted to enter the stem of the socket, said shank having a lateral bore extending part way therethrough, a friction ball in said bore, means for forcing the friction ball outwardly against the wall of the hollow stem, of said socket and means for limiting the outward movement of the ball in its bore.

2. The combination with a wrench structure having a ratcheting portion and a socket having a hollow stem adapted to project therethrough, of a shank adapted to enter. the stem of the socket, said shank having a bore extending laterally thereinto, a friction ball in said bore for holding the shank in said stem, a-spring for forcing said ball outwardly and a flange at the outer end of the bore for limiting the movement of the ball in one direction.

3. The combination with a wrench structure having a ratcheting portion and a socket having a hollow stem adapted to project therethrough, of a shank adapted to enter the stem of the socket, said shank having a bore extending laterally thereinto, a friction ball in said bore for holding the shank in said stem, a spring for forcing said ball outwardly against the wall of the socket stem, means for limiting the outward movement of the ball in its bore, and means at the outer end of said shank extending from the ratcheting portion of the wrench structure for preventing casual disengagement of the socket from the ratcheting portion.

' In witness whereof, I have hereunto affixed my signature.

OLLIE H. BUCK. 

